


ZENOSYNE

by mahoucoma



Series: KADOTA [1]
Category: Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Demons, Magical Attack, Trans! Jackie, tick tock tick tock
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-07
Updated: 2019-10-07
Packaged: 2020-11-26 14:01:55
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,597
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20931407
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mahoucoma/pseuds/mahoucoma
Summary: zenosyne (n.): the sense that time appears to be moving faster and faster - especially as one grows older - speeding towards the inevitable conclusion that will arrive unexpectedly soon.





	ZENOSYNE

Marvin gathered his hair in a loose, messy ball behind his head, clamping a black hair tie in his teeth. He walked past his phone, which was currently open on a video call on Messenger. His friend, a young, green-haired college student, was on the other side of the call, his camera pointed up at a weird angle. He seemed to be wading through a tight crowd, as heard by the low chattering in the background.

“Jackie, it’s probably fine. It was a handful of students that saw whatever you’re talking about and half of them were drunk,” Marvin dismissed, pulling the hair tie tight around his hair. “Maybe it was a trick of the light or something?”  
His friend sighed, not looking at the camera and instead watching his own surroundings. “I mean, I guess? But to have seven different people describe the same concept? Isn’t that a little weird?” Jackie whispered, his voice vibrating against the earbuds’ microphone.  
The magician shrugged. “I mean, I guess? I don’t know if we should be worried about it, though.”  
“You’re the expert on this stuff, dude. I just shoot sparkles out of my hands and, you know, help you protect the city.”

Marvin laughed, leaning over to the other side of his desk and grabbing a pen and a pad of sticky notes. “And you’re the best at it, truly.” He settled in front of the camera, preparing to write. “Okay, describe what they saw again?”

Jackie paused, looking around to make sure no one was listening in. His voice dropped to a hushed tone and he leaned closer to his microphone. “Two meters tall, dusty grey color. One guy described it as a walking, tumor-looking mass of flesh and wood? And everyone said they saw pieces of clocks and gears sticking out of it.” Marvin scribbled down his notes on the pad, taking a sip of his tea. “Oh yeah, and they said the longer they looked at it, the louder they could hear this echoing ticking sound surround them and time felt almost warped,” the student finished, looking down at the camera with furrowed eyebrows.

Marvin pulled the sticky note off the pad and stuck it on his computer monitor. He cocked an eyebrow at the last bit about time. “Alright, I’ll look into it,” he sighed, turning back to his phone.

“A’ight, sounds good. I’ll keep an eye out and continue talking to the people who saw it.” Jackie nodded. He seemed to shift, pulling a hand closer to the camera and wincing. “Fuck, I’m late for my lecture. I’m gonna let you go,”

“That’s alright. See you later, mate.” And with that, the video call ended. Marvin groaned and rubbed his face. Somehow he knew having just one uneventful week was way out of his league. He leaned back in his chair and picked up his phone, scrolling through it with his mind thinking about other matters. He couldn’t recall ever reading about a demon that fit that description and he contemplated looking into his grimoire. Marvin scrolled down on his phone to reveal the clock. Twenty minutes until a live interview with Channel 5.

Marvin stood up and dusted himself off, clearing his throat. He lazily stepped toward the door, picking up his satchel that held his keys, wallet, and a few miscellaneous items. Instead of opening the door, he put his hand up, summoning the soft, warm touch of his magic at his fingertips. He took a calming breath and released a ball of violet energy at the door, plastering it to the white surface. “Rockefeller Street alley,” he commanded. The magic twisted and pulsated, finally forming a portal to a damp back alleyway. He stepped through the portal without a second thought. A second after the magician pulled his foot through, the magic faltered and the portal closed.

-

“Thank you, sir, come again!” a young storekeeper trilled, a sleepy yet kind smile on her face. Marvin thanked her with a wave and grabbed the plastic bag containing his dinner, walking out of the sliding glass doors.

The sun had set an hour ago, setting the streets of downtown Brighton in a comforting twilight. There was still water on the ground from the rainfall before and Marvin’s boot splashed in a puddle. He put his headphones in his ears and clicked absentmindedly on his phone, turning on his favorite playlist on Spotify. Hard snare and violin strokes opened the song and he pocketed his phone.

The evening was always the most enjoyable for walks around the city. His thoughts were the quietest and he could just relax with the passing streetlights and the bustling energy of happy uni students and…

Hold on a moment, where was everyone? Marvin slowed to a halt and glanced around. He was walking on one of the main streets, yet there was no one around him. The stores around him were all dark and empty as if they were closed. It wasn’t even that late, how could that be? He looked down at his watch to check the time. The hands on his wristwatch were spinning wildly, round and round on the clock’s face at a mile a minute. The hairs on the back of his neck stood on end and he felt the sparks of magic start to form around his other hand. 

_ “Diaaaaaa…blerrrrieeee...” _

The growling voice seemed to come from everywhere, yet nowhere at the same time, ricocheting in his brain like a bullet. Marvin’s heart jumped into his throat and he froze, trying to pinpoint the mysterious presence. The walls of the stores around him looked as if they were morphing and melting together and he had to force himself to remain calm.

“Show yourself!” Marvin commanded, the pang of an energy blast spell gathering in his left hand. 

_ “I fou...nd… you…” _

The magician spun around, locking his eyes with what seemed to be a seven-foot beast, the face of a grandfather clock protruding where its head should be. The creature clunked forward from the dark alleyway, the streetlight shining on its grotesque fleshy body with each step. It had no visible mouth, yet Marvin was sure it was almost smirking at him. A high pitched ticking noise invaded his ears and it took all of his willpower not to cover his ears and cower.

Marvin wasted no time, jumping back and firing a blast of pure energy at the demon, keeping a tight grasp on his shopping bag. The creature bent down, dodging the blast and using the momentum of the dodge to launch itself into the air. The magician rolled out of the way just as it came crashing down inches away, denting the sidewalk with its weight. With terrifying speed, the demon recovered and swung its forelimb outward, scratching Marvin’s coat and shirt with its knife-sharp claws, barely missing his torso. Buttons and fabric ripped apart and fell to the ground as he jumped back, quickly firing another blast of violet magic from his fingertips. The spell connected, burning a sizeable hole into the demon’s shoulder. Ink-like blood oozed out from the wound. The beast howled an ear-ringing cry and then, with unexpected speed, threw itself at the magician. 

Marvin flew back with a  _ hrk! _ and toppled onto the ground, his plastic bag flying out of his hand. Just as he attempted to recover from the hit, his opponent landed on top of him, trapping him under its massive tumor-like body. Its face was inches away from his and it emitted a mind-numbing screech. Marvin recoiled, his ears stinging like they were going to explode. The ticking became more violent, every second slamming into him as if it were his last. 

With the last of his energy, Marvin pulled his arms up and wrapped his fingers around the creature’s throat tight. Sparks of magic played at his fingertips and he growled, trying to summon the spell. Consciousness started to escape from him, and at the last second, his hands released a powerful blast straight into the beast’s throat. The incessant screeching cut off and the creature on top of him choked on the magic. Another blast left his hands, and another one. With each attack, the demon whimpered, its muscles growing weaker. One more and the thing dropped next to him, motionless.

The magician pulled his hands away, his palms burning from overclocking his powers. He must have held his breath during the fight, given that he was now gasping for air. Marvin waited for his lungs to reach a normal breathing speed, finally sighing and pushing the demon’s massive limb off of him. He stumbled upwards, inspecting his attacker. It wasn’t dead, not quite, but he couldn’t just leave it here. The thought of killing it right here crossed his mind, but he decided against it. It would be better if he trapped it, interrogated it. 

Marvin let out an exhausted sigh and pulled out his phone from his pocket. The screen was cracked to hell and he waved his hand over it, magic encasing it until the glass repaired itself. He pressed the power button and scrolled until he found Jackie’s phone number. Marvin clicked the call button and waited, keeping his gaze on the motionless demon.

After a few seconds, the call clicked and his friend’s worried voice rang through. “Hey, is everything okay?” Jackie murmured, wind slapping against his speaker. 

Marvin rubbed his face with his free hand. “Uh, yeah. Hey, if you’re not busy, come to Folley Road.

“I think I found your demon.”


End file.
